Concert of the Sypniewski Trio on 21 July 2023 in Les Eyzies

Goldberg Variations by Bach, transcription for string trio

An original programme, which presents a timeless masterpiece: the Goldberg Variations by J-S Bach in the famous transcription by Dmitry Sitkovetsky.

"The "Goldberg Variations", listed as BWV 988, were composed around 1740 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A monument of keyboard music made famous by Glenn Gould's 1955 recording. It is one of those recordings that all lovers of the Canadian genius in the service of the brilliant Kantor of Leipzig will own.
Glenn Gould's second recording of the work in 1981, very different from the first, gives violinist Dimitri Sitkovetsky ideas for a tribute four years later, as we commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of Bach's birth [and the thirtieth anniversary of the first Gould recording]. He delivers a superb transcription for string trio that renews our understanding of the masterpiece.
Published in 1741, these "Variations" [a successful form of a single theme with variations] have an almost legendary origin. Were they composed for Bach's pupil Goldberg, the harpsichordist of Count Van Kayserling, and paid for by the latter at a high price? This was long believed. In any case, they were published as early as 1741 with the indication " Air with various variations for two-manual harpsichord "They are to be listened to without interruption, like a journey into a sound space where the initial aria [the introductory Aria, an ornate sarabande written for Bach's wife Magdalena] would be subjected to thirty melodic, rhythmic and modal metamorphoses, as well as timbres, modulations and play, before reappearing in thirty-second position, noted "Aria da Capo".
The composition of these works is both skilful and symbolic, and in the orbit of their cosmogonic revolution, they are based on the numbers three (divine) and five (human) - with, for example, two parts divided into five sub-parts of three variations.
In the Russian violinist's transcription, the three instruments each constitute the register of a single instrument [i.e. three registers], thus doubling the ultimate meaning of this temple of sound to the glory of God, this enclosed and abysmal universe where the listener's soul unfolds. Far from the usual baroque string ensembles with basso continuo, the musicians for this trio must thus form an organic entity and know how to preserve their singular voice.
[ ... ] "

Extract from the article in Christine Ducqin "La Revue du Spectacle".

The Trio concert Sypniewski is sponsored by the Academie Ravel,which has helped generations of young musicians reach the top.

The Sypniewski sisters officially formed the Sypniewski Trio in 2016, although they have been playing together since they were young.

They have benefited from the advice of François Salque and master classes with the Modigliani Quartet, and trained at the Académie Ravel in Saint-Jean de Luz, where they won several prizes. Each of them graduated from the Paris Conservatory [CNSMDP] and has pursued various chamber music projects on her own, training with renowned teachers in France and abroad. Together, they have been invited to play in numerous French festivals.
Since their first concert at the Chapelle des Jésuites in Carcassonne, they have been heard at the Hôtel de Soubise, the Grange-Colombe in Rambouillet, the Musiques à Versailles Festival, the Raveliades in Ciboure, the Debussy Festival, the Orangerie de Sceaux, the Jeudis musicaux in Royan, the Ateliers Hermès, the Château de Écouen, the Piano Pic Festival, the Melomania Festival in Grasse, the Festival de la Musique de Paris, the Festival de la Musique de Paris and the Festival de la Musique de Paris, the Orangerie de Sceaux, the Jeudis musicaux de Royan, the Ateliers Hermès, the Château d'Écouen, the Festival Piano Pic, the Festival Melomania de Grasse, the Hôtel Richelieu de Châteauroux, and more recently the Festival Musique en Beaujolais. They have shared the stage with pianists Clément Lefebvre, Adam Laloum, Alexandre Kantorow, and Jean-Philippe Fonsalas, not to mention violinists Alexandre Pascal and Hugues Borsarello.

The musicians

The oldest of the three sisters, the cellist Carolinewas born in 1992. After studying with Jérôme Pernoo, she took part in Gautier Capuçon?s class of excellence at the Fondation Vuitton, then went on to perfect her skills at the Mozarteum in Salzburg in the class of Clemens Hagen. Named Révélation de l'Adami 2017, she plays regularly at the Centre de musique de chambre de Paris, and has received the Grand Prix de l?Académie Ravel.